Homosexuality as represented by Bioware.

Given their response to complaints about it, they do seem to be just doing it because it is right, rather than trying to specifically market towards the queer community. Of course there will always be marketing spin involved but still, I would argue that they might have more sales to gain by speaking out against homosexuality rather than embracing it. They definitely took a bit of a risk by doing this.

I do think it's hilarious that there are people out there that don't like the same sex couples being depicted, but don't mind the fact that there are massive hulking lizard things having sex with humans.

 

I've never actually done any of the romances. I was trying to go for Kaiden, but he wouldn't play nicely, and then he somehow *cough* ended up dead in 1. It was an accident, I didn't know he was going to die!
I don't have 3 so I wouldn't have been able to if he survived anyway, since he was very much straight in the first two games...

Of course this is my favourite romance in the games:

Spoiler

[YOUTUBE]T47aheRgeRI[/YOUTUBE]

 

I originally had an essay's worth of why I think Bioware missed the mark in LGBT inclusiveness in Mass Effect 3, but I timed out and all of my progress is lost. Here is the (relatively) short version of it.

Cortez is boring because he doesn't have depth of character beyond sentiment. The idea of convincing a grieving widower to move on life so quickly compared to how a trained therapist would is also really questionable.

Traynor once asked my Femshep if Femshep could take a shower with her at the same time. That spells blatant fan service because I'm pretty sure lesbians don't act that way (at least not that soon in the relationship).

And Kaiden being bi would have made an interesting revelation in his character, except I find it hard to swallow because a) it practically came out of nowhere b) it wasn't foreshadowed, and c) he seems too comfortable with coming to terms with his bisexuality since he came out between Mass Effect 1 (or 2 if you count that scene on Horizon as being before coming out as bi) and Mass Effect 3. In regards to point a, I would have liked context to understand the revelation: I knew Kaiden as A, Bioware said C about Kaiden, so where and what is B? I feel it would have improved if Kaiden had a character arc dedicated to coming to terms with his bisexuality throughout the whole game (starting with his first meeting at the hospital when Kaiden regains consciousness and concluding just after the option of romancing him is given, whether Shepard accepts or not).

All in all, I think Bioware tried to do the right thing, but they missed the mark. They missed the mark because they focused too much on pleasing the fans (especially with fan service) rather than making actual people come to life like they did in other games they made.

 

I've played Mass Effect so many times with both male and female Shepards, having romanced almost everyone (apart from Jacob, i fucking hate Jacob). I gotta say, as much as i think Bioware were trying to do the right thing, i found most of the same sex relations to be very boring. I felt nothing for the male shep/Kaiden relationship, nor the femshep/Traynor relationship.

Tbh, the only relationship that actually seemed real to me was femshep/Liara (my ME OTP). It became the only real relationship after the LotSB DLC when they talk about lots of little blue babies. It was the most real dialogue i've experienced in ME or any game.

I do think Bioware should be commended for including same sex relationships though, in such a positive light at that. That the protagonist of such a major game series could be gay or lesbian is such a massive leap forward, even if it was a little boring.

 

Was it just the same sex romances that were bad? Or were the others pretty lacklustre as well? Because from everything I've seen they all seemed pretty contrived.

 

I don't think I've played an open-world RPG that doesn't allow same-sex relationships. Fable and Skryim immediately spring to mind. It's just the done thing now; if you're going to add in family and relationships, you add a same-sex option.

 

Didn't they mention Kaiden was originaly planed to be bi in the first game, but they cut it out due to pressure? I mean, they caught hell and a half for having sex scenes. And come the third game, it doesn't seem to me so much "Suprise! I'm bi now lolz" from Kaiden so much as he doesn't give a damn what gender you are and wants to form a relationship because he and m/f Shepard have gone through hell together.

I dislike Cortez as a relationship, but enjoy his character.

As for that elf dude? That guy was a stereotype and a half. My first time through the game I accidentally romanced him and was like CRAP lol. Of course I was playing with friends in the room at the time and they all laughed at me. Did not help the whole closet thing, rofl.

 

I always liked Bioware's work, and this made me like them even more.

 

You always get people complaining about stuff like that. We had the same when the Sims 2 was released, and people discovered same sex woohoo was as easy and straightforward as opposite sex woohoo, you could get 2 same sex people married no problem. I think all sims are bisexual.

I have only just got onto ME3 , but I am playing as a Fem Shep so the closest I can get is Liara. But I may play it from scratch as a dude shep. I never actually saved Kaiden anyway I saved Ashley but she is a bit annoying in a way, I think there was plans as well for Ashley and a fem Shep to be romancable

 

I really love Bioware games! (though tragic the ending with mass effect 3...lol) Played a large amount of them. Yes I love their diverse options expression! heck, there's even a robot/AI-human relationship in mass effect 3. that's progressive! Hopefully more companies will wisen up.

 

Funniest thing is if you choose the synthesis ending, everyone becomes a robosexual

 

I adore Bioware (especially the Dragon Age series) and I love the fact that you can now romance whoever you want regardless of sex. It may not be entirely realistic, but dragons and magic aren't exactly realistic either. I prefer it this way... I wanted SO BADLY to romance Morrigan as a woman in DAO and was bitterly disappointed when she friendzoned me. In DA2, my male Hawke was gay.

David Gaider is such a great guy. He's always standing up for inclusivity in his games, like in his response to the so-called Straight Male Gamer complaining that his demographic was being neglected. This bit in particular was beautiful: And the person who says that the only way to please them is to restrict options for others is, if you ask me, the one who deserves it least.

 

I loved the gay tones in Mass Effect. It was treated very respectfully, just as gay people will be treated hundreds of years in the future. It won't even be a thing, and they know that very well.

 

I find the more you piss off the hypocrites (biggots) the better job you do. Dragon Age: Origins was AWESOME!!!!

 

I agree completely. I think the writers spent a lot more time developing Liara than any other character besides Shepard. They made her instrumental in one and three, and indestructible in 2. Since she was around so much, a lot more time was spent making her believable and, by extension, making her relationships believable.

It's a shame (even though Garrus/femShep is a glorious, glorious union).